Which player will be each NHL team’s superstar in 5 years?

Buffalo Sabres- Jack Eichel

It’s always a good thing when deciding about future superstars for a team when it’s actually a tough decision. The Sabres may have been in the basement of the league for years, but they’re finally turning that trend around with their plethora of young talent. The cream of the crop for that youth is current captain Jack Eichel and 2018 first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, and though they’ll probably be almost equals in skill, Eichel gets the edge five years from now as the Sabres best player.

Eichel might not be on the level of some of his comparables like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, but he’s one healthy season away from being considered one of the top players in the league. He’s been just below a point per game player in his career while dealing with injuries and carrying inferior line mates, but now with a potentially healthy season and solid line mates like Jeff Skinner and Connor Sheary on his wing, Eichel looks poised for a huge breakout season that could help lead the Sabres towards playoff contention.

Eichel was named the captain of the Sabres over the summer, marking that the organization really believes that he is the guy that will take them to the next level, and they’re right. Five years from now Eichel will be in the midst of his prime at 27 years old, and he’s already hovering around a point per game with injuries and carrying line mates as mentioned earlier, so imagine Eichel with eight years of experience under his belt and competent teammates on a solid Sabres team? He’ll be just about unstoppable.

Dahlin will surely be a stud in short order, but at the rate Eichel is moving up, it’s hard to see Dahlin being the game changer that Eichel will be. Nevertheless, with an elite first line center, a future elite top pair defender, and several other solid young players and prospects on their way up, the Buffalo Sabres are going smash the streak of futility and be cup contenders soon. Take it to the bank.